Barclays Premier League Preview: Swansea City vs Manchester City

Venue: Liberty Stadium, Swansea, Wales
Kickoff: 13:30 BST; 18:00 IST

Gary Monk, at just 36, is proving to be a tactical genius

Manchester City travel to the Liberty Stadium, to take on Swansea City in the penultimate Gameweek of the 2014/15 Barclays Premier League season.

It really is a significant weekend for Manuel Pellegrini's men, who could seal automatic qualification into next season's UEFA Champions League if they win against Swansea on Sunday.

The hosts, though, are in a fine fettle of their own and won't be easy to beat at all. They ran City ragged when the sides met at the Etihad Stadium last November, and deserved a better result than the one ( a 1-2 defeat) they got in the end.

Both sides' managers - Pellegrini and Gary Monk - insist on playing an attractive brand of football, and I am sure that the viewers from all around the world, as well as the supporters of both these football clubs, will be in for a treat this Sunday afternoon.

Read on... as we compare the strengths and weaknesses of both the sides, and what they have been doing lately.

Swansea

Swansea are a great team to watch when they are playing their best football

Monk's side is sitting in 8th place (with 56 points) on the league table and could achieve UEFA Europa League qualification if they win their remaining games and other results work in their favor; a 7th place finish (provided Arsenal win the FA Cup against Aston Villa on May 30th) could be enough to compete in Europe for the Jacks.

Their 14/15 campaign has been slightly up and down, and the Swans have found it difficult to strike consistency. They have managed to string three wins together only on two occasions in the Premier League this season, and it is an area that they would like to rectify this Sunday.

However, having said that, this has been a landmark season in their history, accruing their biggest ever points tally of 56, which is a whopping 9 points more than their previous best of 47.

The Welsh side comes into this game on the back of three consecutive victories, the last of which came against the Gunners at the Emirates Stadium 5 days back.

Ki Sung-yueng, central midfielder, has already enjoyed a dream season at the Liberty, and is the leading goal scorer with 8 goals in 31 league appearances.

Ki is a genuine box-to-box midfielder

Ki will definitely be one of the players to watch out for tomorrow, as he is a genuine box-to-box midfielder who would want to show his worth against the 2013/14 English champions.

Gylfi Sigurdsson is another player, who has enjoyed a very good season after making a permanent move from Tottenham Hotspur last summer.

He has made the third-most number of assists (10) in the Premier League this season, and will be crucial to his side's chances of winning against City.

While the Swans have played with a lot of virtuosity in attack this season, their backline has not been watertight and conceded 44 goals so far in the Premier League.

Lukasz Fabianski, another one of Monk's marquee signings from last summer, has been called into action many times this season, and played a crucial role in his side enjoying the kind of season they have thus far.

The Pole has made 115 saves in 35 league appearances this season, averaging 3.29 saves, which is the most for a Premier League goalkeeper, per game.

Monk prefers to deploy his side in the archetype 4-3-3 system that enables them to play with great fluidity and creativity in midfield, as well as on the flanks, where the likes of Jefferson Montero, Wayne Routledge and Nathan Dyer can be absolutely lethal with their pace and movement.

Going into Sunday's home clash against City, it is paramount that Swansea don't concede goals and rely on their attackers to outshone their counterparts.

Someone like Jonjo Shelvey, with his work rate and ability to play instinctively, will have to come good, if Swansea are to cause problems for their illustrious opponents in a defensive and offensive sense.

Don't be surprised if Swansea sit deep and play on the counterattack, which has been the go-to tactic for most Premier League outfits when playing against the league's highest scorers.

City

Sunday's visitors have won their last four league games on the trot, but it would take a lot out of them to beat an in-form Swansea side this Sunday lunch time.

It has been a much needed turnaround for the Cityzens who, before their last four victories, were not assured of a top four spot and have had to work extremely hard to overtake Arsenal and Manchester United into second place.

Aguero is a pocket-size dynamite, at least in the eyes of City fanatics

Sergio Aguero's goal scoring form has been particularly pleasing to see, with the Argentine scoring 6 goals during his side's current 4-game winning run, taking his tally to 25 league goals for this campaign and putting himself in pole position to win the Golden Boot.

David Silva is back to being consistent after a tough two month period that saw him create 29 chances and score 2 goals - which is considerably low for the kind of high standards he sets for himself - from March 1st until the Manchester derby defeat at Old Trafford

The likes of Fernandinho, Aleksandar Kolarov, Eliaquim Mangala and Pablo Zabaleta, to name a few, have come good of late, and been crucial to their team's recent success.

City have performed well as a unit in recent games, with a majority of their players coming back to form and making their presence felt.

Pellegrini too, deserves his share of credit for conjuring up this turnaround in form after the defeat to the Red Devils, who have since won only 25% of their games.

Pellegrini should be applauded for the way he has engineered a turnaround in City's form

The Chilean manager has resorted to playing just Aguero up top, and that decision has paid rich dividends for him, as well as City, who have consequently been tough to breakdown by the likes of West Ham United, Villains, Spurs and Queens Park Rangers.

The City boss has also played with an unchanged starting XI for his side's last two games, but I would be very surprised if he refrains from calling back the fit again stalwarts - Yaya Toure and Vincent Kompany - who were on the bench for their side's last game against the Rangers.

Even if the duo does come back into the starting XI, it will be interesting to see who they come in place of: Mangala and Martin Demichelis have largely been good as a defensive partnership, and it would be harsh on either of them to be dropped; Toure's selection could be more straightforward, although it would make sense if Pellegrini brings the Ivorian in place of Frank Lampard and not bench one of the two boisterous Brazilian midfielders.

Another potential selection dilemma for Pellegrini is that of Wilfried Bony, who hasn't managed to start any of his side's last three games since regaining fitness.

It could be an emotional moment for him on his return to the Liberty Stadium as a City player, and this aspect will add a bit more spice to this intriguing Premier League encounter.

Tactically, I expect Pellegrini to persevere with the 4-2-3-1 system, albeit with at least 2-3 changes in personnel.

Going into tomorrow's game, City will be relatively confident of beating Swansea, but will have to bring their A-game to the table.

The hosts have got pacey players up their sleeve and, as aforementioned, will look to play on the counterattack. It is important for the visitors to score that first goal, which always helps them play with verve and composure thereafter.

Defensively, they can be sure to face a few questions from the Swansea frontline comprising of Bafetimbi Gomis, Montero and Routledge, most probably.

City, though, will like playing against Swansea, as it will be more of a competitive game and not cagey.

Final Thought

Expect this to be a goal scoring feast, and closely contested battle between two aggressive football teams.

Both teams will fancy their chances of winning, which is the reason why the spectators could be in for a treat.

City will start as favorites, but Swansea will be reasonably confident of posing defensive problems for the visitors.

Five Reasons Why Manchester City Should Stick With Manuel Pellegrini

Manuel Pellegrini's position as Manchester City manager hangs in the balance

Talks and rumors of Manchester City sacking Manuel Pellegrini are refusing to go away, and the Etihad outfit continues to be linked with the likes of Pep Guardiola and Carlo Ancelotti, as the potential replacements for Pellegrini.

The Sky Blues have failed to replicate their form from last year, and Pellegrini hasn't been helped by his side relinquishing their hard-earned 2013/14 Barclays Premier League title to Chelsea, who were level with City only on New Year's Day.

The Chilean also took the Cityzens into the UEFA Champions League R-16 for the second consecutive season, after two crucial victories against Bayern Munich and AS Roma in the final two group games. But Barcelona were just too good for them over two legs and, as it has turned out, Luis Enrique's men have eased their way into the Berlin finals rather easily.

Certain City fanatics have been put off by Pellegrini's faith in the 4-4-2 system that saw their side score a whopping 156 goals across all competitions in the league and cup double winning 13/14 season, but the same formation has not brought the best of the players this time around and yet, Pellegrini has largely remained inflexible with his tactics.

The 61-year old remains convinced he will not be sacked by the City hierarchy, and that he will comfortably see out his 3-year contract.

It has been clear from Pellegrini that the Financial Fair Play (FFP) restrictions placed on City by the UEFA, have proved to be a major stumbling block for them, as they were not able to properly reinforce their squad last summer while Chelsea and Arsenal brought in the likes of Alexis Sanchez, Cesc Fabregas and Diego Costa and have been more 'competitive' than the Cityzens this season.

Only during the off-season will we know how City's hierarchy reacts to what has been an underwhelming season, and Pellegrini is sure to face a few tough questions from Khaldoon Al Mubarak, the chairman.

But here are five reasons why City simply need to stick with Pellegrini and not continue this aberration of sacking a manager every 2-3 seasons. Read on...

Constant changing of managers makes it difficult to attract top players

Pellegrini is probably not the box office manager like Jose Mourinho or Louis van Gaal, who can attract players purely due to their aura and respective winning formulas.

Neymar cited the constant changing of managers as the reason to not join a club like City

However, having said that, stability at a football club is something that any new player considers before moving to his new destination and it is the foremost reason why the City hierarchy needs to persevere with Pellegrini.

The Chilean, in his two years at the club, has already shown how good a man-manager he is, and that aspect of his management will be critical to City attracting the likes of Paul Pogba, Kevin de Bruyne and Roberto Firmino - who are their top transfer targets this summer - to the Etihad.

Talking of player transfers, Pellegrini must surely be mindful of a few players who he would want to add to his squad, and sacking him will not bode well for City's transfer strategy this summer.

A new manager coming in will probably not guarantee instant success

City, when they contemplate parting ways with Pellegrini, must be absolutely sure that the new manager coming in will not, in anyway, disrupt the good work that has been done by the former Malaga manager.

Pellegrini helped City win back their Premier League title from Manchester United in his first season in-charge of the club, but the question is how many managers can guarantee you such success immediately after taking over.

LVG is a perfect example for City to not be hasty in changing managers

Van Gaal is a fine example of why City should be cautious in their decision to change the current manager. The United boss has struggled to come to terms with the Premiership and invited derision for his obsession with tactics, philosophy and what not...

Mourinho, likewise, was not successful on his return to Stamford Bridge last season, when they struggled against the likes of West Ham United, West Bromwich Albion, Crystal Palace, Aston Villa and Sunderland - clubs that nullified the tactical genius in the Portuguese manager, by way of winning or drawing their respective games against the West Londoners.

Therefore, while a new manager 'could' conjure up something extraordinary when appointed as replacement for Pellegrini, there is no guarantee that the new candidate will guarantee City instant success, which the Chilean was capable of.

Pellegrini has remained defiant and must be raring to go next season

This has no doubt been a sub-standard season for City in recent history, as they, in addition to relinquishing their Barclays Premier League title, failed to progress in the Capital One and FA Cup competitions in which they were ousted by Newcastle United and Middlesbrough, at their Etihad fortress, respectively.

The way City lost both those games - by 2-0 margins - was appalling, and Pellegrini's men, for a brief period, found it difficult to win against the likes of Hull City, Burnley and Palace since that defeat to Aitor Karanka's side.

Pellegrini has handled things well during a difficult season for City

In such tough times, however, you got to laud the way Pellegrini handled things and how he defended himself, his team and everyone concerned with the club.

Also, when faced with tough questions from the English press, Pellegrini has remained pragmatic in handling them, thereby saving the reputation of the club.

Players like Edin Dzeko, Yaya Toure and Samir Nasri have had poor seasons, and it has contributed to City's downfall. The aforementioned trio was at the heart of City's league and cup double winning 13/14 season, but injuries and poor form have seen them make little contribution to City's season this time around.

Pellegrini, purely for his record as manager at City, deserves to reflect on himself and this season, and must surely be determined to get back in the title hunt come August 8th, when the new campaign gets underway.

The Chilean has given City an identity - as an attractive team

Pellegrini and the City hierarchy have constantly reiterated their hunger for success, which they want to achieve in the right manner and by playing an attractive brand of football, however.

City are one of the few clubs that play an attractive brand of football

It was the foremost reason for bringing the Chilean from Malaga last season, as his teams are known to play artistic, success guaranteeing, football.

Such a footballing philosophy has seen City earn themselves an identity as the highest scoring team in the English top flight for the second consecutive season and one of the very few football clubs in Europe that thrive on playing quality football.

What it shows is that Pellegrini continues to fulfill the criteria expected of him by Txiki Begiristain and company, and more than anything else, believes in his methods.

Such assertiveness is wonderful to see and City need to make sure that they retain his services beyond this season.

Cityzens' current 4-game winning streak is a reason to

City won a mere 44% of their league fixtures from February until the Manchester derby last month, and it increasingly looked like Pellegrini's men would not attain Champions League qualification for the first time in 5 seasons.

Pellegrini has engineered a turnaround in City's season over the last month

Pellegrini was perceived as a 'dead man walking' during those two months, which were the initiators to this sack talk or speculation.

However, such speculation has been sent into the trashcan as a result of City's current 4-game winning streak that has got them to within two points of achieving direct qualification into the Champions League group stages next season.

It is not for the first time that we have seen Pellegrini transform City's form after a run of win-less games, and it just shows the adeptness of the Chilean as the manager of a football club that is striving for success and trophies almost every year.

Final Thought

There may come a time when City need a managerial change in order to progress further as a football club.

Yes, this season could be viewed as a failure and one in which progress was not made.

However, the Chilean should be struck with on the basis of the success he brought to the club last season and also for the obvious pluses - a wonderful man-manager, has City playing an attractive brand of football, refrains from tarnishing the reputation of the club - you get with Pellegrini at the helm.

Has The 2014/15 Season Been A Successful One For Arsenal Football Club?

Hector Bellerin has been a revelation for Arsenal this season

Arsenal are enjoying a very good second half of the ongoing season, a period that has brought plenty of joy to their supporters and already given them major incentives going into the last month of the campaign.

The Gunners, with 5 more games to go in their league campaign, are in a 3-way battle - along with Manchester City and Manchester United - to finish 2nd in the 2014/15 Barclays Premier League season.

They also have made it to the finals of the FA Cup and will be facing Aston Villa at the Wembley Stadium on the 30th of May, definitely starting as favorites to retain the crown they won last May.

With very good prospects ahead of them towards the end of this campaign, can we consider this season a 'success' or has it 'still' not been good enough? Read on...

After lifting the FA Community Shield to kick the season off in grandiose fashion, the North Londoners failed to make a good start to their league campaign and progress beyond the second round of the Capital One Cup.

Arsene Wenger faced a lot of tough questions about his ability to get his side competing with the big boys in the Premier League and also in Europe, where they were pitted with Borussia Dortmund, Galatasaray and Anderlecht in the group stage.

Wenger's wizards had accrued a mere 27 points after gameweek 17 in the Premier League, having been beaten by the likes of Swansea City and Stoke City in the first round of fixtures. However, they still managed to sit in 6th place on the table and keep themselves in touch with the then top four sides.

Also, in the UEFA Champions League, the North London's biggest club qualified for the knockout stages of the competition, getting an enviable R-16 draw that saw them pitted against AS Monaco.

A major reason for Arsenal's poor early season form was because of the injuries suffered by the most crucial players in the Arsenal squad: Mesut Ozil (knee ligament), Mikel Arteta (ankle), Jack Wilshere (ankle), Mathieu Debuchy (ankle sprain and dislocated shoulder), Aaron Ramsey (hamstring) and Olivier Giroud (broken leg), were all out of action for 2-3 months during the first half of the season, making it close to impossible for Wenger to even pick a 18-man matchday squad.

It was Alexis Sanchez's scintillating form before the beginning of 2015, that kept Arsenal in touch with the then top four teams in the league and saw them defeat Jurgen Klopp's Dortmund at the Emirates on matchday 5 of this season's Champions League.

The Chilean had scored 12 goals and registered 5 assists in the league before the aforementioned personnel returned to action from their respective injuries and took up the mantle from their new teammate, who has been instrumental to Arsenal's current standing on the league table.

Wenger's wizards have, however, turned their form around since the beginning of this calendar year that has seen them play a mesmerizing brand of football, lose just 3 games across all competitions and surge into the top four in the league standings.

The unearthing of Francis Coquelin, who has won 57% of his duels in 18 league appearances, as a midfield enforcer has been one of the major positives to come out of this season.

Santiago Cazorla has also been playing a starring role in Arsenal's midfield, scoring 7 goals and creating 67 goal scoring chances in 32 league appearances this season.

Let us also not forget the contribution of the Girouds, Ozils, and Ramseys since their respective returns to action.

The underestimated French striker's goal scoring form has been mighty pivotal to his side's current 9-game unbeaten run in the league, scoring 9 goals in 13 league appearances since the turn of the year.

Ozil, for his part, has made a good comeback from injury too, scoring 3 league goals and creating a whopping 33 chances since returning from his ankle injury.

Arsene Wenger masterminded a victory at the Etihad Stadium earlier this season

As a team, Arsenal also have won at the Etihad Stadium against City in the league and Old Trafford against the Red Devils in the quarterfinals of the FA Cup - something which had been a hoodoo for a very, very long time - prompting us into thinking that good things are on the arisen and some degree of progress has been made by way of those prestigious triumphs.

However, having said that, Wenger has yet to beat Jose Mourinho, who, with the 0-0 draw at the home of Arsenal last Sunday, has now extended his unbeaten run against the Frenchman to 13 games.

It was a perfect stage for the Gunners to prove their mettle and put down a marker, at least for next season, but they didn't manage it although they weren't poor on the day.

Coming to the continental assignments this season, Arsenal couldn't progress past the R-16 stage in the Champions League for the 5th year running, despite being handed a very favorable draw.

Failure to progress in the Champions League will have hurt Arsenal massively

Their defence came apart in the first leg against Leonardo Jardim's side that emphatically won 3-1 at the Emirates and made it an arduous task for the English club ahead of the second leg in Monaco.

That is definitely a cause for concern if you are Wenger and you knew it was a golden opportunity to shut the mouths of your detractors by progressing to the quarterfinals.

But Wenger and Arsenal came unstuck once again, and it maybe a difficult task to even progress into the knockout stages of the Champions League in the years to come, with UEFA making changes to the seeding system that will see Arsenal move into the second pot ahead of the group stage draw next season.

Final Thought

First and foremost, Arsenal ought to finish off this season on a good note, by hopefully finishing above 4th on the league table and holding onto their FA Cup.

Finishing above 4th on the league table is paramount to the Gunners, as it will give them something to rejoice during the off-season and definitely be an improvement from the previous seasons.

In addition, there have already been a handful of positives to come out of this season: Coquelin's consistent midfield displays, Hector Bellerin's spirited performances at right-back, Cazorla's renaissance and someone like Nacho Monreal overtaking Kieran Gibbs in the pecking order, have, in a way, made it a campaign to remember for everyone concerned with Arsenal.

On the flip side there are the obvious lows of failing to progress in the Champions League, defeat Chelsea in both the league games and mount a league title challenge that the Gunners have been craving for quite sometime now.

Overall, this season has definitely been progressive, but very less to deem it successful.

Barclays Premier League - Which Player Battles Will Decide Arsenal's Clash Against Chelsea?

Arsene Wenger shoved Jose Mourinho in the chest during Arsenal's visit of Chelsea last October

Chelsea, who are now just two wins away from lifting the 2014/15 Barclays Premier League trophy, travel to the Emirates on Sunday, to take on London derby rivals Arsenal in gameweek 34 of the ongoing Premier League season.

The West Londoners' league form has been consistent all season, and Jose Mourinho's side deserves to be leading the chasing pack by 10 points with 5 more games, after this one, still to ensue.

Arsenal, on the other hand, will be delighted with their own position (2nd) on the league table, which has been achieved on the back of scintillating form since the beginning of this calendar year. The North Londoners have lost just 2 of their 13 league games in 2015, including their current 8-game winning run in the Premier League.

This fixture, over the last decade and more, has continually grabbed the headlines for Mourinho's rivalry with Arsene Wenger, who has never managed to beat his Portuguese adversary in 12 previous meetings between this duo.

Although you expect Mourinho-Wenger rivalry to continue making the headlines prior to kickoff, it will be the player battles on the pitch that will decide which of these two sides comes out victorious when the final whistle is blown.

Read on... to get an understanding of how the sides could lineup tomorrow, and which players hold the key to their respective teams.

Possible lineups

Arsenal (4-1-4-1): David Ospina (GK); Hector Bellerin, Per Mertesacker (C), Laurent Koscielny, Kieran Gibbs; Francis Coquelin; Santiago Cazorla, Aaron Ramsey, Mesut Ozil, Alexis Sanchez; Olivier Giroud.

Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Thibaut Courtois (GK); Branislav Ivanovic, Gary Cahill, John Terry, Cesar Azpilicueta; Nemanja Matic, Cesc Fabregas; Ramires, Oscar, Eden Hazard; Didier Drogba.

Hazard vs Bellerin

Hazard has by far been the best player in the Premier League this season, and few could argue with that assertion. He has scored goals, made assists and delivered in some of the big games during the campaign, making him a strong candidate to win the PFA player of the year this season.

Eden Hazard's performance could have a huge say in this Premier League clash

Against Arsenal tomorrow, the fleet-footed Belgian is expected to start as the left-winger which will see him face off against Bellerin, the 20-year old Arsenal right-back.

In terms of pace, there is not much to choose between these two diminutive personnel. In terms of experience and quality, however, Hazard is head and shoulders above the Spaniard, who has broken into the Gunners' senior squad only this season.

Hazard, with his incisive running and ability to beat his man in 1v1 situations, will fancy his chances against the inexperienced Bellerin.

It will be intriguing to see how Bellerin handles Hazard, as he will need to stand up and not lunge into tackles, which will only play it into the 24-year old Belgian's hands.

Also, with his propensity to bomb forward to support Arsenal's attacks, Hazard could run into plenty of space left behind by Bellerin and pull someone like Mertesacker out wide, making space for the likes of Oscar through the middle.

Ozil vs Matic

In the middle of midfield, Ozil's tussle with Matic will be crucial in the way that this game takes shape.

Matic, with each passing game, is getting better and better, and playing that No.4 role to perfection. He takes up good positions ahead of the Chelsea backline, and does most of his work when opposition have the ball.

Against Arsenal, he should, in all probability, go up against Ozil, who is expected to operate in that advanced midfield role, not exactly the No.10, for the home side.

The German playmaker has been in good form of late, scoring 1 goal and creating 20 goal scoring chances over his last 5 league outings. His performance against Liverpool was particularly impressive, with which he proved that he is no slouch when it comes to these big games.

However, having said that, he is yet to come good against Chelsea, in particular, and Sunday's clash presents him with the ideal opportunity to do just that.

Matic, though, will not make things easier for Ozil, as he is more powerful than the former Real Madrid man and is a good reader of the game. The Serbian may not be in the best moment as Ozil, but he will hope to get his act together once referee blows his whistle to get things underway.

Ivanovic vs Sanchez

Similar to Hazard's duel with Bellerin on the Gunners' right-hand-side, Sanchez's tussle with Ivanovic on Chelsea's right will be an interesting one to watch.

Alexis Sanchez has been the standout player the Gunners this season

The Chilean has made a seamless transition from the La Liga to the Premier League, scoring 14 goals and registering 8 assists in his first season in the English top flight.

When Arsenal were struggling for results during the early stages of this campaign, it was Sanchez's form that kept them in the hunt for a top 4 finish.

The Chilean's form has dwindled since the beginning of this calendar year, when he has scored just 4 goals and created 14 chances in 11 league appearances. However, on Sunday, expect Sanchez to be on top his game.

The former Barcelona winger, though, will know that he will not have an easy ride against Ivanovic, who is up there amongst the best right-backs in the Premier League.

Unlike Hazard, Sanchez might not have a lot of space to operate in because of the defensive discipline Ivanovic exudes, but that is the task concerning the 26-year old.

Sanchez is quick across the turf and is forward-thinking more often than not, but Ivanovic, for his part, is good on the tackle and doesn't get dragged out of position easily. Sanchez will be crucial to Arsenal's chances of winning this game, and that is why his tussle with Ivanovic could be a game-deciding player battle.

Coquelin vs Oscar

Much of Arsenal's success during the second half of the season has to be attributed to the defensive solidity rendered by Coquelin, the North Londoners' midfield enforcer.

The Frenchman is in the same mould as Matic, and he brings plenty of energy to his side's engine room. In 17 league appearances this season, Coquelin has won an impressive 58% of his duels, winning the ball in critical positions of the pitch and man-marking opposition players in his zone effectively.

Against Chelsea, Coquelin will have the task of nullifying Oscar's threat. The Brazilian is Mourinho's main creative man, and this Coquelin-Oscar tussle will be an interesting player battle to witness, as well.

Oscar does like to play from a deeper position, and covers good ground during his time in the middle. Coquelin, therefore, needs to be very meticulous about Oscar's movement and not let him get out of his sight.

Final Thought

Though there will be other player battles - Giroud vs Terry and Drogba vs Mertesacker, for instance - that could also hold the key to this London derby, the aforementioned quartet of player battles will carry more significance.

Hazard, given his form and talent, will be the man to watch out for as far as Arsenal are concerned, and the Belgian's performance could have a huge bearing on how this mouthwatering Premier League encounter pans out.